Nebraska Drug and Alcohol Addiction Drug Abuse in NebraskaRecent statistics have shown that nearly 23.5 million people in this country need treatment for alcohol addiction or drug addiction. That amounts to between 7 and 8% of the general population. With sobering statistics such as these, even small towns and less populated states are feeling the brunt of the burden of addiction. In the Midwest, meth accounts for nearly 90% of all drug cases. In Nebraska, the drug is found in nearly every town in community and contributes to the greatest number of individuals entering drug rehab and recovery programs. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) did a study that proved the hypothesis of meth being a more rural drug. Compared to urban users, people in rural Nebraska were more likely to begin using meth at an earlier age, were 22% more likely to inject meth, which is a risk factor for hepatitis C and HIV infection, and were 27% more likely to become alcohol dependent as well. Nebraska also has the highest rate of alcohol dependence and abuse in the country, with a rate of 10.2% of those over the age of 12 having a problem with alcohol according to 2002 estimates. Among those aged 18-25, Nebraska has the highest rate in the country as well, with 27.2% reporting a dependence on alcohol. With these statistics, it's easy to see that crystal meth and alcohol abuse are indeed enormous problems for the state.
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Addiction to drugs and alcohol is an epidemic that affects people from all over the country, no matter where they live. While people may assume that higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse occur in more populated areas and big cities, less populated states are greatly affected as well. Nebraska, while ranking as one of the least populated states in the country, has a serious problem with drug abuse, particularly with 
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